Poplar Grove resident Matt Kolinski lives in a subdivision off of Whiting Road where he’s been navigating around a deep puddle this week from melting snow.

However, he wasn’t too worried about flooding, mainly because of his built-in water removal system.

“I’m up high on the hill,” he said. “I’m in good shape.”

The puddling along major roads, he concedes, could be treacherous, especially in the evenings.

“It could become a problem around here,” Kolinski contended. “It’s going to go somewhere. But it looks like we’re getting there, it looks like we’re probably a third or a half of the way of melting the snow.”

But Mother Nature brought a new round of snow overnight, with the forecast calling for up to 3 inches of accumulation by mid-morning Wednesday. Warmer temperatures are expected again this weekend, with a high of 51 forecast Friday and a high of 40 Saturday.

Rockford public works crews have been moving around the city to clear storm sewer inlets of ice and snow in places where water has pooled onto the street.

“It’s melting slowly and we’re addressing all the flooding that we’re seeing out there,” Public Works Director Tim Hanson said.

Hanson said residents should call the Public Works Department at 815-987-5763 to report places where inlets need to be cleared to prevent water from pooling onto roads. The city has 28,000 storm sewer inlets, and crews often aren’t aware of the problem unless someone calls.

Despite the warmer temperatures, residents are urged to continue to let their faucets maintain a slow drip in order to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. That’s because the ground is still frozen several feet beneath the surface where water pipes are buried. The city had already responded to about 250 calls for frozen water service by the end of February.

“The ground is still frozen and won’t start unfreezing until we get rid of this snow,” Hanson said. “The sun will start thawing it from the top down and it’s got to get down 6 feet.”

You can get reimbursed if you see a costlier water bill when you let your faucet drip. Call the Water Division at 815-987-5700 to inquire about a reimbursement.

There is a higher risk of localized flooding through the weekend because of ice jams as runoff from snow melt increases flow into area streams.

If residents notice flooding in their homes, they should not wait to call a professional to help clean up the mess. Flood Pros Production Manager Chris Picot said the water will not only emit an odor within days but it will eventually lead to mold growth.

“We can, of course, dry out the house and sanitize it to make it safe and livable. If cracks are found, they can be repaired,” he said.

Picot said the business is beefing up the number of staff available in anticipation of an increase in the number of calls coming from Rockford-area residents over the next week and a half.

Picot said sump pumps systems may not be working properly because the drain tiles that are buried underneath homes may be unable to carry water to the pumps. These tiles are likely frozen, so instead of moving the water, the water is collecting near the basement foundation and seeping its way into the home.

The other concern is that the snow may melt too quickly, causing a flood of water to pool in a home.

“I don’t know if there is much that can be done at this point. Being the level of cold we had this year, I don’t know what could have been done to stop this; it got too cold too deep,” he said.